Joshua Lederberg, PhD, Nobel Prize winner and former NLM Board of Regents member, died of pneumonia at New York-Presbyterian Hospital in New York on February 2, at the age of 82.

Recipient of the 1958 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for his research in genetic structure and function in microorganisms, Lederberg’s pioneering work in bacterial genetics had far reaching l implications and helped propel the field of molecular genetics to its current prominence. In December 2007, President George W. Bush awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian award.

Joshua Lederberg was a member of the NLM Board of Regents, from 1998 to 2002, and was the first chair of the PubMed Central National Advisory Committee.

A strong supporter of the NLM, Lederberg’s papers are included in the NLM’s Profiles in Science. He is also featured in the Meet the Director interactive display in the NLM Visitor Center.